Hezbollah's second-in-command, Naim Qassem, has threatened to increase cross-border attacks against Israel if it continues its deadly assault on the Gaza Strip. This escalation has been further complicated by the miscellany of topics that have come up over the weekend in Israel/Palestine, and the current crisis has raised fears of a regional war. Iranian-backed militant groups have also launched an unprecedented array of attacks against American targets as part of Iran's strategy to surround Israel with a group of proxy militias and statelets.
News Mash
Key takeaways: The Middle East crisis has left the U.S., Israel and its Western allies increasingly isolated, resembling the 2003 Iraq War. The Biden administration…
A 69-year-old Jewish man died after being struck with a megaphone during a pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstration in Thousand Oaks, California. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident as a homicide and a possible hate crime. The Jewish Federation released a statement condemning the violence and asking anyone with information or video of the incident to contact the Sheriff's Office.
WeWork, the once high-flying office-sharing company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US and Canada. The company reported liabilities ranging from $10 billion to $50 billion, and is now looking to reduce its debt burden. Despite its high valuation, WeWork was unable to turn a profit and its business model was not sustainable in the long run, highlighting the risks associated with investing in high-growth startups.
Yesterday in Westlake Village, Los Angeles County, a 69-year-old Jewish man, Paul Kessler, was involved in a physical altercation with a pro-Palestinian protestor and fell backwards, striking his head on the ground. He was taken to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, where he was pronounced dead due to blunt force head injury. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating the incident.
Jerry Boylan, the captain of the scuba dive boat Conception, has been found guilty of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer by a federal jury in Los Angeles in relation to the 2019 fire that killed 34 people. This is the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history and has prompted changes to maritime regulations, congressional hearings, and a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. Boylan is the only person to face criminal charges connected to the tragedy, and the NTSB has issued 25 safety recommendations to the Coast Guard and other federal agencies in response.
Senate Republicans have proposed a one-page plan to President Biden, calling for stricter immigration laws as part of an emergency funding package. The plan includes raising the “credible fear” standard for asylum-seekers, curtailing officials’ ability to grant humanitarian parole, toughening penalties for illegal border crossings, and creating a new “border security trust fund” to pay for additional personnel and technology at the border. The proposal has been met with criticism from some immigration advocates, and it is expected to be a major point of contention in the negotiations over the emergency funding package.
The Republican National Committee has announced the five candidates for the third Republican primary debate of the season, hosted by NBC News. Former President Donald Trump is not participating, instead holding a counterprogramming event, while Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is expected to endorse Trump's presidential bid during the debate. The debate is sure to be a heated one, as the five candidates battle it out for the nomination, with Sanders' endorsement of Trump adding to the drama.